Advanced Network Control and Management

When retrieving content from an arbitrary platform a large number of different network entities and services are involved. Requests are forwarded via different networks being composed of access nodes, firewalls, broadband gateways, load balancers, switches, routers, and many more devices until they reach the corresponding endpoint hosting the desired content. But how is this interplay of devices and autonomous systems orchestrated in a cost-efficient but also well-performing manner, i.e., how are these networks and their devices managed and controlled?

The course "Advanced Network Control and Management" will broadly discuss these issues with specific emphasis on the following topics:

• Network architectures and addressing
• Inter- and intra-domain routing protocols
• Advanced network control mechanisms
• Network management fundamentals and technologies

The course contributes to almost all UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (since efficient communication/networking is a fundamental need for all non-local cooperation), but in particular to SDG 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

A. Knowledge: 1) To get a profound understanding of the ideas and philosophy behind the Internet architecture and addressing in the Internet. 2) To get a profound understanding of the motivation, requirements, functionality, possibilities, and limitations for important protocols for network control and management. The focus is on protocols and architectures for intra-domain and inter-domain routing, traffic monitoring, centralized network control, and configuration and performance management.

B. Skills: 1) To be able to communicate, reason, and think creatively about the various mechanisms used in the Internet protocols. (Ref. pin A2 above.) 2) To be able to identify and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various mechanisms used for network control and management. 3) To be able to identify alternative solutions. 4) To be able to engineer small networks including the configuration of the network nodes. 5) To be capable of doing performance management and traffic analysis

The course applies a combination of traditional lectures and team-based learning methods and activities, including a final oral exam. Lectures are combined with theoretical and practical (lab) exercises providing hands-on experience in network control and management. Throughout the semester the students receive feedback through Readiness Assurance Tests (RATs).